In this second installment, I will look at the roster changes made by the New York Rangers. Say what you will about Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren, but there is no general manager in the NHL more loathed by his organization’s fans than Glen Sather. “Fire Glen Sather” rallies last season came as a result of numerous questionable signings with contract overpayment and overestimated roleplaying value. While this offseason saw both circumstances in play once again, it was actually a rather productive period for the Blueshirts on Broadway.
For however awful Sather’s contracts are, he somehow manages to find other teams willing to take those players off his hands. The Ales Kotalik-for-Olli Jokinen trade has resulted in both players gone from the organization, and the Atlanta Thrashers traded versatile (if inconsistent) forward Todd White and Patrick Rissmiller (an AHL player) for former Flyer Donald Brashear. Brashear served no purpose in New York, and to get any kind of depth in return is essentially a steal. White had a career-high 73 points with the Thrashers in the 2008-2009 season, and could provide to be a valuable third-line player.
Up front, the Rangers re-signed Vaclav Prospal and added Alexander Frolov to bolster their top six. Frolov has tons of talent and is comparable to Flyer Nikolai Zherdev in terms of both scoring ability and questionable work ethic. Frolov became a scapegoat for a number of the Los Angeles Kings’ problems over the years, and the change of scenery should do well for Frolov with an increased role in the line-up. Forward Tim Kennedy was signed for cheap after being waived and bought out by the Buffalo Sabres, and the 24-year-old will improve the third line winger position.
The only forward signing that was arguably stupid was the four-year, $1.4 million per year contract offered to goon Derek Boogaard, who hasn’t scored a goal in the NHL in four years. Expect Flyer Jody Shelley to keep him in line this season.
On defense, the Rangers are expected to waive defenseman Wade Redden and his bloated salary in order to re-sign top defenseman Marc Staal. Between Staal, Michael Del Zotto, Dan Girardi and Mike Rozsival, the defense is adequate. Matt Gilroy and Steve Eminger as fifth and sixth defenseman are also adequate. The team had a better goals-against per game than the Flyers last season, but that isn’t saying much. The Rangers have also improved their goaltending by signing former Flyer Marty Biron to a two-year contract that should allow for elite goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to take a rest as the grind takes its toll later in the season. Biron isn’t coming off of a particularly strong year with the New York Islanders, but he is much more stable than the Blueshirts’ rotation of frightened goaltending prospects that occurred last season.
The Hockey News predicted that the New York Rangers will come in 13th place in the Eastern Conference next season. While I believe that is a bit harsh, this team is still a playoff bubble team heading into next season. If they can find consistency this season, they just might surprise people.
Grade: B
